Outdoor Activities Washington State

If you love outdoor activities, we’ve got an abundance of spaces and places where you can enjoy them.

Washington State offers rainforests and deserts, alpine meadows and wetland estuaries, and where the land is rich with natural beauty, there are ample opportunities for outdoor activities. Climb, hike, bike, boat, canoe, fish, golf and horseback ride here. Head downhill on skis, through the woods on cross-country skis or snowshoes; try water sports such as surfing, windsurfing, water skiing, scuba diving and swimming; rev up with a wheeled adventure (on and off-road, pedal-powered or motor-driven).

Washington State has two major ranges: the Cascade Range and the Olympic Mountains. Both the Olympics and the Cascades offer countless places for outdoor activities, whether you’re interested in hardcore climbing or mountain biking or just looking for a peaceful hike through a stand of old-growth forest or a good spot for a family picnic. Come winter, Washington’s mountains offer everything from black-diamond runs for intrepid skiers and snowboarders to “bunny slopes” for inner tubing with the kids. Whatever draws you to the mountains, there’s no shortage of them here.

Then there’s the water. Taking into account the Pacific Coast of Washington and the state’s extensive tidal waterways and island perimeters, there are more than 3,000 miles of coastline here. And with an amazing number of glacier-fed rivers, freshwater lakes and scenic reservoirs, this place is a paradise for people who love water and all things you can do on it, in it and near it. You can even go whale watching in the San Juan islands.

Challehging Class IV rapids are now available to rafters and kayakers on a newly opened section of the White Salmon River.